Advice on 'dumbing down' a CV

I am keen to return to work having spent the last 7 years at home with my children. I am looking for a job that will not cause me too much stress, and not have too much responsibility attached ... basically to get me out of the house. Salary is not really an issue. The problem is I have a MSc in maths which is always a bone of contention with non-maths people. How do I dumb down my cv?

I'd say your circumstances would prove your interest in the job and not necessarily have to dumb down your cv. You'd feel like you were lying in the interview anyway which could prove bad.

Henny Penny said:

I am keen to return to work having spent the last 7 years at home with my children. I am looking for a job that will not cause me too much stress, and not have too much responsibility attached ... basically to get me out of the house. Salary is not really an issue. The problem is I have a MSc in maths which is always a bone of contention with non-maths people. How do I dumb down my cv?

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Why not just leave it out ? It's not as if you are overstating your education by inventing something you didn't do

I think it depends on what work experience you have before you stayed out to mind your children.

If you have very high level work experience, employers might wonder how you got the previous jobs with no maths degree.

On the other hand, if your experience prior to having children was at a reasonably low/medium level, then you could leave out the Msc. You could put in a degree, as lots of people have degrees nowadays. There are lots of people nowadays who have a degree, and who don't have a high flying job so leaving in the degree would do you no harm.

If you have lots of very good work experience, you may need to dumb this down also, as otherwise agencies may try to place you in a demanding role.

I know it is easier to get more lower level jobs if you have less qualifications and experience. If you do not dumb down your CV you could be left without a job, as the employers would think that you will leave to pursue a more challenging role (despite what you say in the interview about not wanting a demanding role). I know it is frightening, but the more highly qualified you are, the harder it can be to get work, as employers are afraid to take you, they want someone who will stay with the company.

agreed with buzybee. highlight the "less demanding" aspects of your previous epmloyment experience, dumb down job titles a bit, and possibly leave off your degree if it's not relevant to the job you are going for.
I have two CVs, one with my degree and proper job discriptions, and one which merely lists jobs I did to support myself through college, and the less-impressive sounding job title/discriptions as some employers don't seem to want to hire people they percieve as over-qualified for the job on offer, in case they are only looking for a stop-gap til they find their "preferred" employment.

Have had personal experience of not getting to interview stage with the CV with degree+more responsible sounding positions, and getting called to interview (for the same position mind!) on the strength of a CV with no third level education mentioned and more basic job titles.

I find that my degree will definitely get me interviews, even for jobs that are a bit less demanding/at a lower level.

However, often at the interview stage, the employer will say that they want someone who will 'grow into the position'. This means they want someone who does not have experience of doing that particular job already but who will learn the job and get the experience. As I often already have the experience of doing that particular job already, the employers are afraid that I will not be learning new things and will get bored.

Maybe the interviewers think that I am exaggerating my experience at the CV stage and they call me for interview. Then when they realise that I DO have the experience, they are less willing to give me the job in case I move on again. This is despite the fact that I stayed in one company 7 yrs, in another company 2 yrs. Surely staying with a particular company for a good few yrs must demonstrate my loyalty i.e. that I will stay in a job if it works out well.


Sometimes interviewers can be put off if the candidate has more qualifications than the boss!! I have a degree & accounting qualification, yet I find it hard to get into a large company. When I try to get in at a lower level e.g. accounts assistant, they say I am overqualified. Yet when I try to get in at accountant/assistant accountant level, the interviewers say that I do not have multinational experience. I got all my experience in small companies, working as an accountant. I find that these 'accountant' jobs in small companies actually pay slightly LESS than the accounts assistant job in the multinationals!!

Very interesting topic. I have also found that despite BSc & PhD in Chemistry - but many years working in Europe - that it can be difficult to find a job here. Most Agencies will not even referr you for a position if they think you are too "overqualified". Despite so much Governmnent hype about promoting science & technology, jobs in these areas are still mostly at very low/junior levels. Not much incentive to potential students.